The Wild Mother Podcast Jessica Hodgens

My guest today is none other than Kim John Payne, a child and family counsellor, consultant, educator, researcher and the author of the number one bestseller, ‘Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Happier, Calmer, More Secure Kids’.

Kim says that our faster, busier society today is ‘waging an undeclared war on childhood’, of too much ‘too much stuff, too many choices, too much sexiness, too much information, and too much speed’. And while we don’t have the power to change the more, louder, faster world around us, we do have the power as parents, Kim says, to ‘declare peace in our homes’.

Today's is such a hopeful episode, because it’s about the choices that we get to make, as parents, to give our children a childhood in a time when this is no longer a given.

Kim and I talk about:


How average kids without any obvious history of trauma are experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, just as a result of the cumulative stress of living in the 21st century world
The work of ‘simplicity parenting’ that Kim developed to help families consciously wind back the different sources of stress in children’s lives, through:
Decluttering our children’s environment
Bringing warm, nurturing rhythms and rituals into our children’s days
Balancing our little one’s schedules
Filtering out adult information (because it’s not just too much stuff that’s overwhelming for children - it’s also the clutter of too much information)
And creating values-centered family leadership, and fostering a family culture that truly reflects our values and our desires.

If you enjoy today's episode, it would mean the world to me if you left me a review over on iTunes, because that helps to get this podcast in front of other wild mamas who could also benefit from these conversations. You can also share this podcast with other mamas by simply taking a screenshot and sharing it on Instagram, and don’t forget to tag me at @drjessicahodgens!



RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

Grab your copy of my free guide, 'The Four Things you Actually Need to Know to Prepare for a Physiologic ("Natural") Birth'

Read Kim’s book ‘Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Happier, Calmer, More Secure Kids’.



CONNECT WITH KIM:

On Facebook [Link:

https://www.facebook.com/SimplicityParenting/]

At his website: [link: https://www.simplicityparenting.com/]



Until next time - stay wild, mamas!

Jess xx



Find me on Instagram at @drjessicahodgens

www.jessicahodgens.com



Intro and outro music: "Bloom", from the album The Jasmani Garden by Deya Dova, with the kind permission of the artist. Cover image by Briony Goodsell. I'm living and mothering on the unceded Country of Dharawal people, and I gratefully acknowledge their ongoing work - and the work of indigenous people everywhere - in the service of thriving life on earth.

Like many of our beliefs around pregnancy, birth and mothering, much of what we believe about food is grounded not in evidence or physiology, but in emotion, misinformation and dogma.

Today's guest is the brilliant Lily Nichols - Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, researcher, and author of Real Food for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily’s bestselling books have helped tens of thousands of mamas (and babies!), are used in university-level maternal nutrition and midwifery courses, and have even influenced prenatal nutrition policy internationally.

Lily's genius is to cut through the emotion and misinformation, and look at the actual research (what we know, and what we don’t know), and then to bring that information to mamas so that we can make informed and evidence-based choices about how we eat.

We talk about:


How the conventional “wisdom” and standard nutritional advice given to pregnant mamas is completely inadequate (and if you follow it, you'll likely end up with nutritional deficiencies!)
What a ‘real food’ approach to perinatal nutrition is, and why it’s optimal for the health of mothers and babies
What a real food diet actually looks like during pregnancy (hint: it’s not that complicated, and it’s pretty delicious!)
What you need to know if you’re a vegetarian or vegan mama (this is a subject that’s surrounded by a lot of emotion and morality, so we steer clear of morality here and we focus instead on what we know through nutrition research and our physiology as humans, so that you can make informed choices for yourself and your baby).
Nutritional requirements in the postpartum period, especially for breastfeeding mamas, and how you can prepare during pregnancy for a nourished, supported postpartum without the depletion and exhaustion that is far too common an experience for mamas.



RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

Grab your copy of my free guide, 'The Four Things you Actually Need to Know to Prepare for a Physiologic ("Natural") Birth'

Download the first chapter of Lily’s book ‘Real Food for Pregnancy’ for free from her website

Read Lily’s blog post about protein requirements in pregnancy here

Read about postpartum recovery with real food here, and check out this blog post for 50+ recipes for nutrient-dense meals to stash in your postpartum freezer

Read Lily’s blog post about a vegetarian diet in pregnancy here

CONNECT WITH LILY

On Instagram

At her website



Until next time - stay wild, mamas!

Jess xx



Find me on Instagram at @drjessicahodgens

www.jessicahodgens.com



Intro and outro music: "Bloom", from the album The Jasmani Garden by Deya Dova, with the kind permission of the artist. Cover image by Briony Goodsell. I'm living and mothering on the unceded Country of Dharawal people, and I gratefully acknowledge their ongoing work - and the work of indigenous people everywhere - in the service of thriving life on earth.

In today’s episode, I have the great privilege of speaking with the divine Tara Bliss, as she shares the story of her pregnancy journey, and the birth of her little boy. This is a story about motherhood, sacrifice, loss, love and beauty. What an honour it is to bear witness to this medicine woman, and to listen to the gift of her story.

Tara Bliss is a mother, a leader and creator of communities, and a curator of experiences. She is here to elevate women devoted to nature and their own true nature.

In this episode, we talk about:


Tara’s journey into motherhood, her experience of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) and early pregnancy loss, and her experience of alchemising sacrifice and grief into healing and beauty.
And the precious story of the birth of Tara’s son nine months ago.

There is medicine in this episode for absolutely everyone who has the privilege to listen to Tara’s words and story. I cannot wait for you to hear it.

If you enjoy today's episode, mamas, it would mean the world to me if you left me a review over on iTunes, because that helps to get this podcast in front of other wild mamas who could also benefit from hearing incredible conversations like this one today. You can also share this podcast with other mamas by simply taking a screenshot and sharing it on Instagram, and don’t forget to tag me at @drjessicahodgens!



RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

Join me for my FREE live masterclass, “Reclaiming the Sacred Blueprint for Birth”



CONNECT WITH TARA:

On Instagram @tara_bliss

On her website www.tarabliss.com.au

Through her program, Rebels of Light





Until next time - stay wild, mamas!

Jess xx



Find me on Instagram at @drjessicahodgens

www.jessicahodgens.com





Intro and outro music: "Bloom", from the album The Jasmani Garden by Deya Dova, with the kind permission of the artist.

Cover image by Briony Goodsell.

I'm living and mothering on the unceded Country of Dharawal people, and I gratefully acknowledge their ongoing work - and the work of indigenous people everywhere - in the service of thriving life on earth.

Today, I’m in conversation with mother, doula, herbalist and activist, Julie Bell. Julie is the heart behind Blissful Herbs, and if you’re a homebirthing mama in Australia, chances are you already know exactly who Julie is, and you’ve probably even got a Blissful Herbs tea or tincture sitting in your cupboard somewhere. If you haven’t come across Julie and her beautiful work yet, then you’re in for a real treat in today’s episode!

We talk about:


Julie’s childhood experience of trauma and disruption, and how this experience led her on a path towards, and shaped her work as, a herbalist and doula.
The wisdom and kindness of plants, and how so many plants offer support and healing especially to women and women’s needs.
The history of misogyny and racism that continues to undermine women’s birthing choices, and how women will always intuitively come back to birthing our babies at home, in safety.
The importance of sharing candid stories and images of birth, as well as other aspects of the experience of being a woman, and how Julie’s refusal to accept Instagram’s “community standards” led to her account being penalised.
The relationship between spirituality and motherhood, and the role that Julie’s Christian faith plays in her life, her work, and her service in the world.
And so much more.

If you enjoy today's episode, it would mean the world to me if you left me a review over on iTunes, because that helps to get this podcast in front of other wild mamas who could also benefit from these conversations. You can also share this podcast with other mamas by simply taking a screenshot and sharing it on Instagram, and don’t forget to tag me at @drjessicahodgens!

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE:


Join me for my FREE live masterclass, “Reclaiming the Sacred Blueprint for Birth”


Women who Run with the Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estes 

Midwives, Witches and Nurses: A History of Women Healers, by Barbara Ehrenreich & Deirdre English

The Flexner Report, 1910 



CONNECT WITH JULIE
On Instagram 

On Facebook

At Blissful Herbs

At her blog about birth, ‘The Melbourne Doula’

At her blog about Christianity and faith, ‘It is for Freedom’



Until next time - stay wild, mamas!

Jess xx

Find me on Instagram at @drjessicahodgens

www.jessicahodgens.com



Intro and outro music: "Bloom", from the album The Jasmani Garden by Deya Dova, with the kind permission of the artist.

Cover image by Briony Goodsell.

I'm living and mothering on the unceded Country of Dharawal people, and I gratefully acknowledge their ongoing work - and the work of indigenous people everywhere - in the service of thriving life on earth.

Today’s episode is with a woman whose work & wisdom has quite literally changed my life. It’s my absolute privilege today to bring to you one of my great teachers, Jane Hardwicke Collings.

Jane is a grandmother, former homebirth midwife for 30 years, a teacher, writer & menstrual educator. She gives workshops on mother and daughter preparation for menstruation, the spiritual practice of menstruation, and the sacred dimensions of pregnancy, birth & menopause. Jane founded and runs The School of Shamanic Womancraft, an international Women’s Mysteries School.

If you haven’t come across Jane before, brace yourself mama, because today’s episode is EPIC. If you do know Jane and her work, you’re in for a real treat here because in this episode we don’t just skim the surface of her work, we dive really deep into her ideas and thinking & we get into all the meaty details.

We talk about:


The shamanic dimensions of pregnancy and how the things that show up in our lives & bodies during pregnancy are information to support us to transform into a new version ourselves and to become “the mother our babies come for”
How we have the birth we need to teach us what we need to learn about ourselves to take us to the next place on our journey, and how the quality that we need to learn about ourselves in how we birth our babies, is the quality we need to bring to mothering them.
How to learn from and begin healing from a traumatic birth - the questions Jane offers to ask yourself are life changing.
The difference between midwifery and obstetric care and how the single most impactful decision a woman will make that will influence her birth outcome is who her primary carer will be & her place of birth.
How we can prepare for birth before we’re even pregnant, through healing trauma stored in the body, opening to a relationship with our spirit baby, connecting with our menstrual cycle, looking into our previous experiences of rites of passage, unhooking from the medical model of birth, and bringing consciousness to our fears.

If you enjoy today's episode, it would mean the world to me if you left me a review over on iTunes, because that helps to get this podcast in front of other wild mamas who could also benefit from these conversations. You can also share this podcast with other mamas by simply taking a screenshot and sharing it on Instagram, and don’t forget to tag me at @drjessicahodgens!

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

Grab your copy of my free guide, 'The Four Things you Actually Need to Know to Prepare for a Physiologic ("Natural") Birth'

Jane’s incredible book, ‘Ten Moons: The Inner Journey of Pregnancy’ 

 

CONNECT WITH JANE

On Instagram@janehardwickecollings

Through one of Jane’s online courses including Pregnancy: The Inner Journey & Snake Medicine: Healing Menstrual Shame

Book a private session with Jane

Study with the School of Shamanic Womancraft

Until next time - stay wild, mamas!

Jess xx

Find me on Instagram at@drjessicahodgens

www.jessicahodgens.

Today’s episode is about something I’ve come to see as one of THE most important influences on a woman’s experience of birth and motherhood. I’m talking about connecting with our inner wisdom, living IN our bodies (instead of in our heads), and claiming our personal sovereignty.

And I couldn’t think of a more perfect guest to talk about today’s topic, than my very own sister, Rachel Hodgens.

As well as being one of my best friends, Rachel is a feminine embodiment mentor, and host of the Weaving the Wild podcast. Her work as a feminine embodiment mentor is all about reclaiming and remembering the wildish wisdom that lies deep within our bones. From honouring our cyclical rhythm and dropping back into our bodies, embracing our intuitive nature and anchoring mind, body and soul through simple, practical earth, moon and womb practices and rituals.

In today’s episode, Rachel and I talk about:


‘The feminine’ - what that term means, and how it’s something to be embodied and experienced rather than intellectually understood,
Simple tools and practices to help you come back into your body, connect with your intuition, and align with the cyclical wisdom of the natural world,
How the state of your nervous system influences your ability to hear your body’s wisdom and your intuition,
And so much more.

Whenever I work with mamas preparing for birth and motherhood, the very first place I start is with your relationship to your body and your inner knowing. Because everything else - understanding physiologic birth and navigating the maternity system and so on - is all important to know, but it’s your connectedness to your body and your inner wisdom and your personal truth that will guide you through all the rest.

Which is why I’m so excited to share this conversation with you, mamas, because Rach is so wise and relatable, and she has a way of making everything feel simple and doable.

If you enjoy today's episode, it would mean the world to me if you left me a review over on iTunes, because that helps to get this podcast in front of other wild mamas who could also benefit from these conversations. You can also share this podcast with other mamas by simply taking a screenshot and sharing it on Instagram, and don’t forget to tag me at @drjessicahodgens!

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

Grab your copy of my free guide, 'The Four Things you Actually Need to Know to Prepare for a Physiologic ("Natural") Birth'



CONNECT WITH RACHEL

On Instagram: @rachel.hodgens

On her podcast, Weaving the Wild

Join Rachel for a one off Soul-Led 1:1 Session

Work with Rachel in her 3 month Wild Heart 1:1 Journey - places opening up again in September 2021





Until next time - stay wild, mamas!

Jess xx

Find me on Instagram at @drjessicahodgens

www.jessicahodgens.com



Intro and outro music: "Bloom", from the album The Jasmani Garden by Deya Dova, with the kind permission of the artist.

Cover image by Briony Goodsell.

I'm living and mothering on the unceded Country of Dharawal people, and I gratefully acknowledge their ongoing work - and the work of indigenous people everywhere - in the service of thriving life on earth.